Rotary mower

ABSTRACT

A rotary mower has a rotating cutter blade housing with a discharge opening therefrom. The housing comprises upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with the cutter blade therebetween. The lower housing member has a web in spaced relationship to the terrain and to the plane of rotation of the blade, and the web has sector-shaped openings therein swept by the blade in its cutting movement, the blade being thereby protected throughout a major part of its rotation. The lower housing member also affords protection for the user in that it extends in forward and rearward directions between the front and rear ground engaging wheels secured thereto. The web of the lower housing member at the discharge has a ramp thereon for deflecting hard objects in an upward direction toward the upper housing member where it is deflected downward at the discharge opening.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,754,386

Armstrong Aug. 28, 1973 ROTARY MOWER Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. N. Eskm'itz 7 W 5] Inventor illlunll Armstrong, Bloomfield y met, 086s & Lindberg Hills, Mich. mpg

{73} Assignee: Montgomery Ward & Co.,

Incorporated, Chicago, m. L h bl d h rotary mower as a rotating cutter a e ouslng [22] filed 1972 with a discharge opening therefrom. The housing com- [21] Appl. No.: 230,611 prises upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with the cutter blade therebetween. The lower housing member has a web in spaced [2%] 56/l7.4,0:g/320.2 relationship to the terrain and to the plane of nation d 55/18 of the blade, and the web has sector-shaped openings 1 e o I therein swept by the blade in its cutting movement, the I 255 blade being thereby protected throughout a major part 56 R f i of its rotation. The lower housing member also'afi'ords 1 e fences C M protection for the user in that it extends in forward and UNITED STATES PATENTS rearward directions between the front and rear ground 2,906,082 9/1959 Mathis 56/3201 engaging wheels secured thereto. The; web of the lower 2,734,327 2/1956 Whitney 56/255 X housing member at the discharge has a ramp thereon 2.511.124 6/1950 Phfllps for deflecting hard objects in an upward direction to- ;j ward the upper housing member where it is deflected mmenc 1,954,579 4/1934 Smith 56/255 x dwnwmd at the dscharge 3Claims,9l)rawing Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,386

4 Sheets-$heet 1 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,386

4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,386

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ROTARY MOWER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention herein relates to a rotary type power lawn mower having structure for protecting the hands and feet of the operator from the rotating cutter blade thereof.

2. The Prior Art The prior art discloses rotary mowers having safety gruards for protecting the user from the rotating cutter blade. Schulze US. Pat. No. 3,541,771 is an example of a mower having the cutter blade enclosed or shrouded through part of its rotation. Thelander U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,327 also discloses a guard disposed at the discharge opening from the mower, and moreover discloses a front guard structure preventing the intrusion of the feet beneath the mower and into the path of the rotating blade. Ridenour et al. US. Pat. No. 2,972,849 discloses a front guard for protecting the feet of the user from the rotating cutter blade. Denney US. Pat. No. 3,002,331 shows a guard disposed below the plane for a like purpose.

The structure according to the present invention constitutes an improvement over the known prior art in that the ends of the rotor blade are guarded at all times. Moreover, the present invention is also characterized by structure located at the discharge chute for discharging hard objects picked up by the rotor blade in a downward direction close to the mower frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The mower according to the present invention is characterized by a rotor blade housing consisting of two halves, one being an upper housing member supporting a prime mover, and the other being a lower housing member secured to the upper housing member at the peripheries thereof with the rotor blade therebetween. The structure is further characterized by the lower housing member having webs disposed between open sectors where the rotor blade sweeps across the grass to be cut, the tips of the rotor blade being guarded at all times. The invention is also characterized by structure in the discharge chute of the housing for diverting in a downward direction objects which have been picked up by the rotor blade.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rotary mower having the improvements according to the present invention embodied therein;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation thereof looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a lower housing member forming part of the mower seen in FIG. 1, said view looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an upper housing member, said view looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing details of a volute discharge for cuttings resulting from the operation of the mower seen in the several views;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section spaced from the view of FIG. 6, showing details of the volute discharge, said view being taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lower housing portion.

The improved rotary mower according to the present invention is denoted generally by the reference numeral l0 and is comprised ofa mower housing 11 consisting of a lower housing member 12 and an upper housing member 13. The two housings are essentially circular in configuration, and the respective peripheral flanges 14A and 14B thereof provide areas where the two housing members meet in confronting relationship.

Structure is provided for fastening the housing members l2 and 13 together, and flange 14A of the lower housing member i2 is provided with a plurality of peripheral fastening lugs 15 extending laterally therefrom. Lugs 15 are secured in confronting relationship by fastening screws 16 as seen in FIG. 6 particularly.

The two housing members 12 and 13 form a voluteshaped discharge passageway 17 extending tangentially with respect thereto, discharge passageway 17 being also defined by a rib 18 in the upper housing 13 and a tangential extending rib 19. The latter is provided with a boss 21, see also FIG. 8, and a fastening element 22 extends through the boss 21 from the upper side of the housing member 11 and into a similar boss 23 in the lower housing member 12, see also FIG. 3.

The two housing members 12 and 13 are additionally maintained in proper alignment by lining bosses 24, each having a liner pin 26 extending therefrom, these being located in the upper housing member 13. Liner pins 26 cooperate with liner bores 27 arranged in the lower housing 12, see FIG. 3.

Structure is provided for enabling the mower assem bly 10 to be moved over the terrain, and the lower housing 12, accordingly, has paired front and rear wheels 28 and 29, respectively. Each of the wheels is secured to a mounting structure 31 extending in fore and aft directions from the lower housing member 12. In order to vary the height of the mower 10 with respect to the terrain, each of the wheels 28 and 29 is provided with an adjusting structure indicated generally by the reference numeral 32. The precise details of such structure forms no part of the present invention and are well known in the art.

The two housing members I2 and 13 when so joined in confronting relationship along their peripheral flanges 14A and 14B provide an enclosure for a cutter blade RB rotating therebetween. Blade RB is powered from a prime mover, not shown, having a power shaft PS extending through an opening 33 in upper housing member 13. An annular stiffening flange 34 for housing member 13 is provided for mounting the prime mover, and spaced apertures 36 are provided in the annular stiffening flange as for securing the prime mover thereat.

Structure is provided in the lower housing member 12 for enclosing the rotor blade RB through substantially all of its rotation to provide effective protection thereagainst. Accordingly, the lower housing member 12 is provided with a web 37 which is of a configuration to define a sector-shaped opening 38 having an included central angle of not more than said opening being disposed behind the front wheels 28. The web 37 is also of a configuration to define a second sectorshaped opening 39 having a central included angle of less than 90 and disposed in front of the rear pair of wheels 29. The rotor blade RB has its ends shrouded by the upper and lower housing members 12 and 13, lower housing member 12 having a pair of minor web sectors 41 extending from the web 37 and to a point adjacent the front wheels 28. The ends of the rotor blade RB are additionally protected by a second minor web sector 42 extending radially inward between the rear wheels 29, and also partly defining the sector-shaped opening 39.

Structure is provided for shielding the tips of the rotor blade RB through the remainder of its path of movement by means of a front guard 43 extending between the supports for front wheels 28, such front guard 43 having downward extending rake-like members 44 making it difficult for the feet of the operator to extend between the front wheels 28. Additionally, the dimension from the tip of the rotor blade RB to the front guard 43 is such that it is not too easy to extend the front of a shoe or the like into the path of the rotating blade RB.

In like fashion, mower has a rear guard 45 extending between the supports 31 for the rear wheels 29, and such rear guard 45 has the downward extending rakelike teeth 44.

In order to facilitate starting of the prime mover and to insure that the feet of the operator are out of a dangerous position with respect to the rotor blade RB, the upper housing 13 is provided with a plurality of treads 47 upon which the operators foot may rest during the starting operation.

The configuration of the sector-shaped openings 38 and 39 defined by the web 37 in the lower housing member 12 is such as to create a vacuum action at the front of the mower 10 to lift the grass and cut it off cleanly. By reason of the configuration of the discharge volute 17, the cuttings are enabled to be moved in a path having an increased volume incident to the volumetric action caused by the rotor blade RB, thereby enhancing the movement of the cuttings.

The shielding of the rotor blade by web 37 in the lower housing 12 also minimizes the tendency of the rotor blade RB to pick up hard objects such as stones or the like from the terrain. When such occurs, they are diverted downward at a discharge opening 17A. Accordingly, web 37 and the minor sector 41, see FIG. 4, fairs into a ramp 48 located in the adjacent: discharge opening of the volute 17, the ramp 48 fairing down as at 49. The slope of the ramp 48 is such as to divert hard objects to the top volute 17, causing the objects to be deflected therefrom and downward at the discharge opening 17A and closely adjacent the mower 10.

I claim:

1. In a rotary mower having a rotor blade housing and a discharge opening therefrom, a prime mover mounted on said housing including a rotor blade rotatable within said housing for delivery of cuttings to said discharge opening, the improvement wherein said housing comprises:

a. upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with said rotor blade rotatable therebetween;

b. said housing having paired front and rear ground engaging wheels thereon for movement of said housing over the terrain;

c. said lower housing member including a generally circular web extending in spaced relationship to said terrain and to the plane of rotation of said rotor blade;

d. a pair of sector-shaped openings in said web to provide areas for cutting action by said rotor blade in its rotative movement:

i. one of said sector-shaped openings having a central included angle of not more than 180 and being disposed behind said front pair of ground engaging wheels;

ii. the other of said sector-shaped openings having a central included angle less than and being disposed in front of said rear pair of ground engaging wheels;

e. sector-shaped openings being additionally defined by minor sectors extending from said web to shield the ends of said rotor blade.

2. A rotary mower according to claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with structure shielding said rotor blade and extending between said paired ground engaging wheels.

3. In a rotary mower having a rotor blade housing and a discharge opening therefrom, a prime mover mounted on said housing including a rotor blade rotatable within said housing for delivery of cuttings to said discharge opening, the improvement wherein said housing comprises:

a. upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with said rotor blade rotatable therebetween;

b. said housing having paired front and rear ground engaging wheels thereon for movement of said housing over the terrain;

c. said lower housing member including a generally circular web extending in spaced relationship to said terrain and to the plane of rotation of said rotor blade;

d. a pair of sector-shaped openings in said web to provide areas for cutting action by said rotor blade in its rotative movement;

e. a discharge passageway in said upper housing member for cuttings;

f. a deflecting structure in said passage for diverting upward hard objects picked up by said rotor blade against upper portions of said passageway whereby said objects may ricochet downward and be discharged in a downward direction at said discharge opening. 

1. In a rotary mower having a rotor blade housing and a discharge opening therefrom, a prime mover mounted on said housing including a rotor blade rotatable within said housing for delivery of cuttings to said discharge opening, the improvement wherein said housing comprises: a. upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with said rotor blade rotatable therebetween; b. said housing having paired front and rear ground engaging wheels thereon for movement of said housing over the terrain; c. said lower housing member including a generally circular web extending in spaced relationship to said terrain and to the plane of rotation of said rotor blade; d. a pair of sector-shaped openings in said web to provide areas for cutting action by said rotor blade in its rotative movement: i. one of said sector-shaped openings having a central included angle of not more than 180* and being disposed behind said front pair of ground engaging wheels; ii. the other of said sector-shaped openings having a central included angle less than 90* and being disposed in front of said rear pair of ground engaging wheels; e. sector-shaped opeNings being additionally defined by minor sectors extending from said web to shield the ends of said rotor blade.
 2. A rotary mower according to claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with structure shielding said rotor blade and extending between said paired ground engaging wheels.
 3. In a rotary mower having a rotor blade housing and a discharge opening therefrom, a prime mover mounted on said housing including a rotor blade rotatable within said housing for delivery of cuttings to said discharge opening, the improvement wherein said housing comprises: a. upper and lower housing members secured in confronting relationship with said rotor blade rotatable therebetween; b. said housing having paired front and rear ground engaging wheels thereon for movement of said housing over the terrain; c. said lower housing member including a generally circular web extending in spaced relationship to said terrain and to the plane of rotation of said rotor blade; d. a pair of sector-shaped openings in said web to provide areas for cutting action by said rotor blade in its rotative movement; e. a discharge passageway in said upper housing member for cuttings; f. a deflecting structure in said passage for diverting upward hard objects picked up by said rotor blade against upper portions of said passageway whereby said objects may ricochet downward and be discharged in a downward direction at said discharge opening. 